Medieval Jewelry Research Paper

1460 Words6 Pages
People own jewelry to display their wealth, social status, and loyalties. Jewelry is an art form that has long been valued, especially during the Middle Ages. The Middle Ages were a time of traditional learning and culture. This traditional attitude was reflected in the jewelry of the time as the upper class and Church defined jewelry for themselves. The types of jewelry worn, materials used, and social etiquette surrounding jewelry all played a part in the upkeep of medieval tradition. The jewelry of the Middle Ages was quite intricate; moreover, people of the Middle Ages, both men, women, and children adorned themselves with various forms of jewelry to indicate their social status as well as their religion. Generally, Medieval jewelry was designed to be functional, but that…show more content…
Gold during Medieval times was recycled or imported from western Europe and Asia. Gold is a hard metal so it can be cut with delicate patterns. It was often used for the fine intricate designs of Medieval jewelry. Silver was produced continuously during the Middle Ages. Silver is a softer metal than gold, and so it could not be used for jewelry with a considerable amount of intricate designs. Diamonds were imported from India and Central Africa ( Joaquin, "Medieval Jewelry Jewels, Gold, Diamonds, Emeralds"). They were not particularly popular during the Middle Age for a proper cutting technique of diamonds wasn’t discovered in Europe until the late 14th century (Joaquin, "Medieval Jewelry Jewels, Gold, Diamonds, Emeralds"). Rubies were much more common than diamonds during the Middle Ages, and thought to have supernatural powers (earthsky.org). Rubies were thought to bring good health, as well as guard against wicked thoughts, amorous desires, and disputes. It was also believed that the ruby held the power to warn its owner of coming misfortunes by turning darker in color (earthsky.org). Sapphires were popular jewels for the Church. The clergy wore blue sapphires to
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